Portfolio Planner

Reverse-engineer your portfolio. Year by year.

Set a passive income or net-worth goal. The planner runs a year-by-year simulation showing when you'll hit it — based on your starting position, savings rate, and assumptions about growth and yield. Pull the sliders to stress-test what changes the answer.

Your saved scenarios
Save this plan for later
Saved on this device only. Cross-device sync coming soon — get notified when accounts launch so you can access your plans from any device.
Your goal
Pick what you're optimising for. You can switch between them at any time to see both views of the same strategy.
$
Net after interest + expenses, before tax. What you'd want to "live off" the portfolio.
The year you want to hit the goal.
How far the year-by-year table extends.
Where you're starting from
$
Liquid funds available for your next deposit.
$
Pre-tax taxable income from your job(s). Used for serviceability + marginal tax rate.
$
How much you save each year that can fund deposits.
%
Auto-set from your gross income (base brackets, excludes Medicare levy). Override if your situation differs.
Existing properties (max 20)
Future acquisition strategy
How do future properties get added to your portfolio?
$
%
Including buffer for stamp duty + costs.
Once the portfolio hits this many properties, no more auto-buys.
Value-add events (optional)
Granny flats, dual occ, rooming houses, renos. Lift the cashflow on your portfolio rather than just stacking standard buy-and-holds. Each event lifts your portfolio's gross rent and value at the year it completes. For deeper comparison framing (years saved), use the Value-Add Planner.
Sensitivity — pull the sliders to stress-test
These three assumptions move the answer the most. Try different combinations.
6.0%
4.5%
6.25%
1.5%
What's included: council rates, water, insurance, strata (units), repairs & maintenance. What's NOT: mortgage interest (separate slider above), property management fees (typically 7% of rent), or land tax (varies by state, value, and structure). For exact per-property numbers, use the Buy Analysis calculator and copy the total.
3.0%
3.0%
3.0%
Note on growth assumptions: Wage and savings growth roughly track inflation + career progression (long-run Australian average ~3%/yr). Wage growth materially affects serviceability — without it, the simulator artificially caps how many properties you can buy. Your goal amount stays in today's dollars — we don't inflate it, so what you set is what you mean.
Result

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Enter your details above. The simulation runs as you type.
Year-by-year projection
Every row is one year. Highlighted rows are when you buy a new property. Green rows are when you hit your goal.
Year Props Portfolio value Debt Equity Gross rent Net cashflow Cash bal.
How the projection works (and what it doesn't model)

The simulation: Every year, existing properties grow by the capital growth rate. Rent grows separately. Interest, holding costs, and tax effects flow into cashflow. Cashflow + your savings accumulate. If auto mode is on, the simulator buys a new property whenever you have enough cash + accessible equity AND a basic serviceability check passes.

Accessible equity: Banks generally let you borrow against 80% LVR on existing properties. Accessible equity = (total portfolio value × 0.80) − total debt. New property deposits can come from this equity (cash-out refinance) plus your cash savings.

Serviceability check (simplified): The simulator only allows a new purchase if your total debt service ratio (interest + holding costs) stays under 40% of your gross household income (wage + rent). Real bank serviceability is much stricter — uses HEM, assessment rates 2-3% above actual, stress tests. Use a broker for actual borrowing capacity.

Tax modelling (simplified): Negative cashflow gets offset against wage income at your marginal rate (assuming current rules continue). Budget 2026 changes — which would quarantine losses on established properties — are NOT modelled here. Use the CGT & Structure calc for full Budget 2026 impact.

What this calculator deliberately doesn't model:

  • Per-property variation in growth, yield, or location
  • Stamp duty + transaction costs precisely (buffer included in deposit %)
  • Land tax aggregation across multiple properties in the same state (can be significant)
  • Vacancy events, major repairs, or rate shocks
  • Real lender serviceability (uses simplified DTI rule of thumb)
  • CGT on sale of any property (assumes hold)
  • Structure mixing (assumes single structure)

Use this for: Directional planning. Is the goal realistic? How sensitive is it to assumptions? What rough path gets there? Use the other calculators for individual property due diligence and exact tax modelling.

This calculator is for general information and education only and is not financial, tax, or legal advice. Real serviceability and lending decisions depend on lender-specific policies, your full financial situation, and stress-test rules that change. Always consult a qualified mortgage broker, accountant, or financial planner before making property investment decisions. The Real Return is the intellectual property of Emil Josef.